A JVC Southwest Thanksgiving

I know Thanksgiving was a while ago, and I know people quickly moved on to Christmas. However, this was my first Thanksgiving away from family (not away from home, though, since we celebrated in Scotland one year), and I think it bears recounting on the blog since it was a great weekend! Thanksgiving with 35 JVs in Phoenix isn't quite the same as Thanksgiving with the fam, but if there's a group of people I'd want to spend this Thanksgiving away from home with, it'd be these fools.

Two 21-pound stuffed turkeys, 25 lbs. of mashed potatoes, 18 lbs. of sweet potatoes, 12 pies, and a whole lotta love.

   

 And, as JVs do, we went on a hike up Camelback Mountain.

   

Sunsets in Phoenix apparently always look this beautiful.

This torta was legitimately one of the top-five sandwiches I have ever eaten. Just amazing. And maybe this photo from an art exhibit we went to in L.A. a few months ago gives you an idea of how I feel about sandwiches.

We found a Christmas parade in Tempe, followed by a tree lighting. We were older than all the kids and younger than all the grandparents in attendance, but it was a fun way to mark the beginning of the Christmas (well, technically Advent) season.